News

After introducing the project at MipTV earlier this year, distributor Newen Connect is bringing its crime thriller series “Syndrome E” to the Unifrance Rendez-Vous, the international sales event for French shows in Biarritz, South-West France, which runs Sept. 4-8.

“Syndrome E” is the first TV series adapted from the work of international best-selling thriller writer and screenwriter Franck Thilliez. The French author was the fourth most read writer in France in 2020, with more than 7 million books sold in France and translated in more than 20 countries.

“Syndrome E” is the first TV series adapted from international best-selling thriller writer and screenwriter Franck Thilliez. The French author was the fourth most read writer in France in 2020, with more than 7 million books sold in France and translated in more than 20 countries.

“Syndrome E” is the first book of the Sharko and Hennebelle novels, one of Thilliez’s franchises. The adaptation was entrusted to screenwriter Mathieu Missoffe,...

Exclusive: Paramount Pictures has acquired screen rights to Nexus, the science fiction novel by Ramez Naam. The project will be produced by Mary Parent and Cale Boyter through their Disruption label and Darren Aronofsky and Scott Franklin through their Protozoa banner. Negotiations are underway for the book to be adapted by Ari Handel and Mark Heyman. Handel is a longtime Aronofsky associate who co-wrote Aronofsky’s upcoming Biblical epic Noah, which Parent produced. Heyman wrote Aronofsky’s Black Swan and recently signed on to adapt the Franck Thilliez novel Syndrome E for Paramount and Indian Paintbrush. The author is former CEO of Apex Nanotechnology, and he previously wrote the nonfiction book More Than Human: Embracing The Promise Of Biological Enhancement. Nexus is his first novel, and it takes place in the near future in a battle for mind control. A young technologist becomes the first person to invent controllable nanotechnology software for the brain.

According to Deadline Hollywood, Mark Heyman has been hired by Paramount and Indian Paintbrush to script Syndrome E, based off the best-selling novel of the same name from Franck Thilliez. The book, for what it’s worth, sounds a lot like The Ring without the supernatural elements. Or Cigarette Burns with a police procedural shoved in the middle. It focuses on a detective named Lucie Hennebelle whose best friend is struck with blindness after watching a terrifically violent movie from the 1950s (my guess is Seven Samurai). As it turns out, the film has subliminal flashes that spell death for anyone who watches, but it’s not a little girl in a well that comes for them. It’s something a bit more earth-bound. Familiarity aside, there’s something thrilling here, and Heyman should be cause for a lot of excitement. He cut his teeth with Darren Aronofsky and has proven to be a strong talent in...

Nearly a year ago when Paramount and Indian Paintbrush picked up  Syndrome E, a first-in-a-trilogy French novel from Franck Thilliez, it was no surprise that Steve Zaillian become attached as producer on the project. After all, the screenwriter was coming off The Girl With a Dragon Tattoo for David Fincher and the source material has drawn comparisons to that revenge [...]...

Franck Thilliez‘ international bestseller Syndrome E is getting a big screen adaptation! And it looks that Paramount studio is quite serious about the whole thing, ’cause we’ve just learned that Mark Heyman, man responsible for Black Swan script, is set to adapt the novel. So far – so good, check out the rest of this report for more details! In case you’re not so familiar with Thilliez’ novel, let me first inform you that it centers on a detective named Lucie Hennebelle, who discovers that her friend comes down with a case of spontaneous blindness after watching an extremely rare and spectacularly violent film from...

Deadline has an exclusive that Mark Heyman will be adapting the book Syndrome E. for Paramount and Indian Paintbrush. The novel was originally published in France (it hit stateside this past summer) and is the first in a series by author Franck Thilliez. Described as a thriller, Syndrome E. is about, "a beleaguered detective named Lucie Hennebelle, who discovers that her friend comes down with a case of spontaneous blindness after watching an extremely rare and spectacularly violent...

Syndrome E

Mark Heyman ("Black Swan") has been hired to adapt Franck Thilliez's international bestseller novel "Syndrome E" for Paramount and Indian Paintbrush.

The novel follows a beleaguered detective whose friend comes down with a case of spontaneous blindness after watching an extremely rare film from the 1950s - a film that those who come in contact with end up dead. [Source: Deadline]

Influence

John Brancato and Michael Ferris ("The Game," "Terminator 3") are set to pen the thriller "Influence" which is based on Dr. William Chasey’s book "Truth Never Dies."

The story details how a high-powered Washington lobbyist who took a job representing Muammar al-Gaddafi’s Libya in the wake of the 1988 terrorist bombing of Pan Am 103. He soon saw his life systematically dismantled by the U.S. government. [Source: Deadline]

Killshot

Paige Cameron has been set to develop and co-write the script for the thriller "Killshot" at Smokewood Entertainment.

The story...

The destructive power of art can be a fascinating theme, although more so in the case of something like Dorian Gray than the Pawnee Indian murals on Parks and Recreation. The international bestselling novel Le Syndrome E, written by French author Franck Thilliez, follows that theme, describing the deadly effect a rare film has upon those who watch it. Combined with a police procedural plotline, the novel reads like a combination of The Ring and Se7en, two of my favorite films of the last twenty years. Paramount Pictures and Indian Paintbrush Productions are set to bring an adaptation of the novel stateside, with Black Swan screenwriter Mark Heyman will be taking on script duties, according to Deadline. Film Rites. Steve Zaillian and Garret Basch will be producing, along with Steven Rales and Mark Roybal, who were both executive producers on recent films likeMoonrise Kingdom and Seeking a Friend for...

Another adaptation is on its way that centers on a premise that you may not necessarily see coming, and we mean that literally. Deadline is reporting that Mark Heyman (Black Swan) has been tapped by Paramount and Indian Paintbrush to bring the international bestseller novel Syndrome E to the big screen.

Originally published in France, the Franck Thilliez novel, the first in a series, was published Stateside by Viking last summer. Film Rites’ Steve Zaillian and Garrett Basch are producing with Steven Rales and Mark Roybal.

The protagonist is a beleaguered detective named Lucie Hennebelle, who discovers that her friend came down with a case of spontaneous blindness after watching an extremely rare and spectacularly violent film from the 1950s. She discovers that the film has been embedded with subliminal images and those who come in contact with it end up dead. The detective teams with a Paris cop who...

Exclusive: Mark Heyman has been set by Paramount and Indian Paintbrush to adapt the international bestseller novel Syndrome E. Heyman’s recent script work includes the Darren Aronofsky-directed Black Swan. Originally published in France, the Franck Thilliez novel, the first in a series, was published stateside by Viking last summer. Film Rites’ Steve Zaillian & Garrett Basch are producing with Steven Rales & Mark Roybal. The protagonist is a beleaguered detective named Lucie Hennebelle, who discovers that her friend comes down with a case of spontaneous blindness after watching an extremely rare and spectacularly violent film from the 1950s. The cop discovers that the film has been embedded with subliminal images that those who come in contact with it end up dead. The detective teams with a Paris cop who has been trying to figure out the film’s connection to five men murdered and left in the woods. Together they...

Paramount Pictures and Indian Paintbrush have set Mark Heyman on adapting the Franck Thilliez novel, Syndrome E . Deadline has the news, saying the Black Swan screenwriter will adapt the French novel, officially described as follows: Already a runaway bestseller in France, Syndrome E tells the story of beleaguered detective Lucie Hennebelle, whose old friend has developed a case of spontaneous blindness after watching an extremely rare.and violent.film from the 1950s. Embedded in the film are subliminal images so unspeakably heinous that Lucie realizes she must get to the bottom of it.especially when nearly everyone who comes into contact with the film starts turning up dead. Enlisting the help of Inspector Franck Sharko.a brooding, broken analyst for the Paris police who...